Shadowing Practice: 24K - Learn English Speaking with Video
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The Intelligent Buffalo The Intelligent Buffalo Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a farmer named Edgar.
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He lived in a small house and owned a small piece of land.
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Edgar had a buffalo named Bounty.
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It was an uncommon name, but it came with its own reasons.
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You see, Edgar was a very poor man before he found his buffalo.
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Bounty worked really hard for his human.
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Being the only buffalo, he would plow the whole field day in
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and day out and help Edgar with all sort of work.
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Edgar began to grow all sorts of grains in his field.
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Edgar gained a lot of respect in his neighborhood Given the bountiful he received,
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he named his beloved buffalo Bounty Bounty was a special buffalo He was intelligent and always full of life
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Edgar knew that Bounty was a free-spirited animal He would often wander around when there was no work
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and come back home in the evening.
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As time passed, Edgar bought another buffalo.
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He loved Bounty dearly, but he also realized that the workload was too much and was needed to be shared.
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Edgar didn't want to tire his animal.
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One day, while plowing the field, Bounty sat midway and began to breathe heavily.
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Moo!
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Moo!
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Moo!
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Moo!
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Moo!
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Oh, Bounty!
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Edgar took both his buffaloes back home.
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That night, Edgar could not sleep at all.
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He knew it was time to let Bounty go.
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The next day, he took Bounty to the forest and took the bell off his collar.
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Bounty happily shook his head.
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Bounty, you are a good buffalo.
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I will never be able to repay your debt.
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You don't have to work anymore.
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You are free now.
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I will always miss you, my friend.
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Go wander and explore the lands.
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Moo!
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Don't make me cry now.
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You can come home anytime you want.
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You know the way.
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Bounty was sad to leave his human, but he was also excited to see what lay ahead.
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He walked merrily, enjoying the fresh breeze.
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He roamed around in the forest with no fear.
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He drank water from streams and ate grass on the way.
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Soon, the sun began to set.
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It was getting dark.
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Bounty looked around for a safe place to rest, and there it was.
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That cave is right near the pond.
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Moolala!
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This place is huge.
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It's pretty warm too!
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Perfect for me to stay!
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Oh boy!
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Am I tired or what?
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This whole wandering is going to make me slim like a giraffe!
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Bounty began to live in the cave.
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He would drink fresh water from the pond, graze nearby and sleep peacefully inside.
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Days passed and Bounty began to love his life in the forest.
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But being a domestic buffalo, Bounty was a simple and innocent animal.
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He wasn't aware that the forest was home to many animals and not all of them were as innocent as he was.
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While Bounty happily carried on with his new life, there was someone who was keeping a watch on the buffalo, Timmy the fox.
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Each day as Bounty left his cave to wander around, Timmy would tiptoe behind him everywhere.
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Bounty was always so engrossed in his day-to-day activities, never felt Timmy's presence around.
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Hmm...
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This buffalo is pretty brave to roam around the forest all by himself.
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Well, either he is too brave or too stupid.
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I mean, does he even know whose cave he's living in?
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Ha ha ha ha!
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Let's have some fun!
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Well, hello!
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Are you new here?
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I came to graze here every day now.
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I wouldn't call myself new.
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Oh, you are a witty little animal.
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A fox calling a buffalo little is witty indeed.
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How dare you make fun of me?
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I am the king of the forest.
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That's my cave you're living in.
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All the animals are at my mercy here.
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If you want to live, you will have to bow down to me.
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You are right.
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I am new here.
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But that doesn't mean I am stupid to believe everything you say.
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Listen, Fox.
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I know you are not king of this forest.
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In fact, I am sure you don't even know how big this forest is.
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I suggest you stop wasting my time.
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Timmy was seething inside.
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He shivered with anger.
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He swore that one day he will seek revenge for his insult.
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Bounty, on the other hand, realized that he will have to be more cautious now.
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That cunning fox knows where I live, which means he is keeping a watch on me?
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Hmm.
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Also, I don't think about this before, but that cave must belong to somebody.
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What will I do once the rightful owner of that cave comes back?
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I will have to be more careful around here.
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That night, the moon shone brightly in the sky.
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As Bounty lay down inside the cave, he heard something.
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He peeped through a small hole and saw a strange shadow outside.
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First, he thought that the fox is back to trouble him again.
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But as the figure came closer, Bounty shivered with fear.
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It was the grateful owner, the tiger.
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Oh no!
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Of course this cave belongs to the tiger.
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What do I do now?
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He will eat me up.
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As the tiger kept coming closer, Bounty could not stop shivering.
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Wait, wait, think clearly.
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Calm down.
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Aha!
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I can see him, but he can't see me.
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That's my advantage.
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Here he comes!
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Huh?
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Shhh!
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What is wrong with you?
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He will hear us!
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Alright, sorry, but look how delicious he looks!
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Didn't I tell you the one who lives here is big enough for both of us to eat?
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Alright, you were right!
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Our dinner for today is sorted!
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Absolutely!
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It was the tiger's turn to shiver with fear!
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Huh?
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Who are these animals?
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Why did he stop?
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This is taking too long and I am too hungry.
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Why don't we go out and attack him instead?
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He can't fight both of us.
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The trick worked.
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Without another thought, Tiger leapt across the forest.
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Bounty was relieved he now knew the importance of keeping calm in any given situation.
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The next day, as Timmy was loitering in the forest, he bumped into the tiger.
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Aaaaaaah!
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Aaaaaaah!
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Oof!
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You scared me!
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S-s-scared?
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Wait, I scared you?
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But you're a tiger!
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Yeah, yeah, I know.
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I am the big cat of the jungle.
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But you are a fool if you think there are no bigger and.. and scarier animals than me here.
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I ran into two of those last night.
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They have captured my cave.
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I will have to look for a new den.
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Wait, what?
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The one living in your cave is bigger and scarier than you are?
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You are?
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Are you kidding me?
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He is a buffalo!
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And what do you mean, two?
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There is only one buffalo living in there!
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You think I am a fool to run away from a buffalo?
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There are two huge beings in there!
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Beings?
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Yeah, I don't really know who or what they are.
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I didn't enter the cave.
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Just heard their voices.
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They were going to attack me.
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I ran away before they could.
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Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
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You poor tiger!
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He played you.
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There is no being in there.
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It's a buffalo.
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I am keeping a watch on him ever since he set his foot in this forest!
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Shut up, Fox!
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How dare you insult me?
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You think I am stupid to mistake a buffalo for a scary animal?
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I can prove it to you!
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You are not his prey!
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He is your prey!
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Let's do one thing!
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I will come with you!
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We will enter that cave and I will help you capture whoever's inside.
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I want to settle a score with that arrogant buffalo anyway.
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But, in return for your cave, I want you to promise that you will never attack me.
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Hmm, are you telling the truth?
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But wait, what if you run away, leaving me behind?
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Um, I know.
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Let's tie a rope around ourselves.
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One end to your stomach and the other to mine.
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That way you can pull me back if I try to run.
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Deal?
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The tiger agreed.
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They both tied a rope around themselves and began to walk towards the cave.
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Fox was happy.
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He had found a way to do both, teach Bounty a lesson and earn trust of the tiger.
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As they approached the cave, Bounty saw them coming.
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As soon as he saw the fox, he understood what was going on.
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Hmm, he thinks he is smart?
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Now, let me handle this, okay?
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Enter the cave only when I ask you to.
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You stupid fox!
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I asked you to bring me two tigers, and you bring me only one?
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Huh?
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What?
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We haven't eaten anything since last night, and now you want us both to share one tiger between us?
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You work for them?
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No, no, no!
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This is not true!
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Ah, you are good for nothing!
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Fine!
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Bring him here now!
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No!
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Tiger left for his life!
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He was so scared that he didn't care about Timmy who was tied to the other end of the rope! rope!
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Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
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This hurts!
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Ha ha ha ha!
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This will teach that fox!
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I have learnt a very important lesson today.
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Had I not kept myself calm, I could not have been able to chase those two away.
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No matter how difficult the situation gets, we must always stay calm.
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Bounty was right.
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Only because he stayed calm in every difficult situation was he able to help himself.
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And as for the fox...
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Ow!
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Ow!
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Ow!
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Ow!
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Ow!
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Nooooooooooooooo!
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He must have learned his lesson too.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Bounty, buffalo, cave, tiger, Edgar. This video has 224 sentences and 1641 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:42. The speaker talks at a steady 120 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 35 of its 224 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| buffalo noun | /ˈbʌf.ə.loʊ/ | An animal from the subtribe Bubalina, also known as true buffalos, such as the Cape buffalo, Syncerus caffer, or the water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis. |
| cave noun | /keɪv/ | A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. |
| tiger noun | /ˈtaɪɡə/ | Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia. |
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| rope noun | /ɹoʊp/ | Thick strings, yarn, monofilaments, metal wires, or strands of other cordage that are twisted together to form a stronger line. |
| wander verb | /ˈwɑndɚ/ | To move without purpose or specified destination; often in search of livelihood. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| intelligent adjective | /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/ | Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright. |
| innocent adjective | /ˈɪnəsənt/ | Free from guilt, sin, or immorality. |
| capture verb | /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/ | To take control of; to seize by force or stratagem. |
| belong verb | /bɪˈlɒŋ/ | To have its proper place. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| dare verb | /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To have enough courage (to do something). |
| happily adverb | /ˈhæp.ə.li/ | In a happy or cheerful manner; with happiness. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| run away verb | To flee by running. | |
| calm down verb | To become less excited, intense, or angry. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| lie ahead verb | To be going to happen in the future; to be in store. | |
| lie down verb | To assume a horizontal position. | |
| run away from verb | To avoid or shirk a problem or consequences; to rush to back away from or disclaim responsibility for something. | |
| shut up | /ʃʌt ʌp/ | Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)… |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Am I tired or what?
- I mean, does he even know whose cave he's living in?
- How dare you make fun of me?
- What do I do now?
- Why don't we go out and attack him instead?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have captured · haven't eaten · have learnt |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was needed · is sorted · was relieved |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who was · live, which means · one who lives |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was getting · was keeping · was seething |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 18 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, didn't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, seethe /sið/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, shine /ʃaɪn/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like buffalo, cave, tiger.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.